Thomas raftery



; NITE STATES THOMAS RAFTERY, OF NElV YORK, N. Y.

SHIPS FENDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 448,074, dated March10, 1891.

Application filed November 11, 1889. Serial No. 329,862. (No model.)

' useful Improvements in Ship-Fenders; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,

- such as will enable others sk lled in the art to which it appertainsto make and use the same.

This invention relates to ship-fenders.

The object of the invention is to obviate the usual disastrous effect ofcollisions upon the waters.

lVith this object in view the invention consists in one or more fendersarranged at the bow of a vessel, preferably attached to the cut-water oradjacent thereto and capable of vertical adjustment. Furthermore, theinvention consists in one or more stationary fenders placed at the bowof a vessel and one or more vertically adjustable fenders designed toslide up and down upon the outwater and be retained atany desiredelevation.

In the accompanying drawingsI have shown one embodiment of theinvention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is aside elevation of a portion of the bow ofa vessel, showing my fenders arranged thereon. Fig. 2 is a front view ofawessel with the fenders in the positions in which they are placed foruse at the time of a collision, and Fig. 3 is a sectional View showingthe preferred form of tender.

In the drawings, A represents the bow of a vessel, and (t represents thecut-water. Attached to the cut-water is a bar or rod of steel or ironarranged to leave a space between it and the cut-water, allowing freemovement and suflicient play to the the rings or slides, by which themovable fenders are attached to the bar or rod.

B B 13 represent fenders of any suitable size, which are connected withthe bar or rod by rings, which permit a free up-and-down movement. Theupper fender B is arranged near the top of the cut-water, and ispreferably stationary in use, though so attached to the rod as to permitready detachment, if desired. The two fenders B and B are designed toslide upon the bar or rod a, allow ing them to be drawn up into theposition shown in'Fig. 1 and to be dropped into position shown in Fig.2.

The fenders are each provided with ropes or chains 7) and I), attachedto each end of the fenders. These chains or ropes are each attached ondeck to drums or the like, (not shown,) by the manipulation ofwhichthefenders maybe raised or lowered at will or drawn upon the deckwhen desired.

The tenders are preferably made of rubber, though any suitable materialmay be employed. To add to the effectiveness, they may be provided withan interior chamber,in which are arranged springs upon which the forceof the blow of a collision would be expended.

It is well understood that it the Wedge-like bowof avesselis preventedfrom entering the side of a vessel or any other object struck the effectof collision is greatly mitigated, and by placing the strong elasticfenders between the bow of the vessel and the object struck the bow isprevented from entering and damage is averted.

In the ordinary use of fenders they are until needed raised out of thewater, and this offers no obstruction to the passage of the vesselthrough the water, and there is no space taken up that would be occupiedby anything else. The fenders are compactly carried on the bow and inheavy weather can be hauled on board.

Of course it will be understood that the bar or rod upon which thefenders are carried will not remain uninjured aftera collision; but ifit is damaged or carried away this is of no importance, as its otficewill have been performed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with the bow of a vessel havinga guide device, ofone or more movable fcnders arranged upon the cut-water and capable ofsliding up and down thereon, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the bow of a vessel having a guide device, ofone or more stationary and one or more movable fenders, the movablefenders being arranged to be moved up and down on the guide device,substanfenders attached to the rod, and chains or tiall y as described.ropes attached to the fenders and attached to 3. The combination, withthe bow of a vcsa drum or the like on the deck, substantially sel, of arod or bar attached thereto and one as described.

5 or more stationary and one or more vertioally- In testimony whereofIaffix mysignatnre in [5 movable fenders attached to the rod or bar,presence of two Witnesses. substantially as described. THOMAS RAFTERY.

4. The combination, with the bow of a ves sel, of a vertical rodattached thereto, one or 10 more stationary and one or more movable 1\Vitnesses:

R. G. DYRENFORTH, F. B. KEEFER.

